Process for making services in a list in a television system and terminal associated with the process

• US 20030174175A1
• Filed: 02/03/2003
• Published: 09/18/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/04/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: InterDigital Madison Patent Holdings (InterDigital, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Thomson Licensing (Vantiva SA)
• Inventors: Jensen, Sandra, Gauthier, Rene, Renault, William
• Granted Patent: US 8,578,422 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 715/810
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4345 Extraction or processing of SI, e.g. extracting service information from an MPEG stream
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4438 Window management, e.g. event handling following interaction with the user interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4755 for defining user preferences, e.g. favourite actors or genre retrieval personalisation and generation of user profiles for the retrieval of video data G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306

Abstract

The invention relates to a process for selecting services in a television system using graphical indications displayed on a screen.

The invention comprises in particular the steps of:

(a) determining a first list (30) of services, the first list being a subset of a second list;

(b) displaying at least a part of the first list, ordered according to a predetermined criterion;

(c) selecting a service present in the second list, but not in the first list;

(d) displaying a visual indicator (39) marking the relative location, according to the predetermined criterion, of the selected service in the first list (30).

The invention also relates to the terminal for the implementation of the process.

Claims

1. Process for selecting services in a television system, wherein it comprises the steps of:

(a) determining a first list (30) of services, the first list being a subset of a second list;

(b) displaying at least a part of the first list, ordered according to a predetermined criterion;

(c) selecting a service present in the second list, but not in the first list;

(d) displaying a visual indicator (39) marking the relative location, according to the predetermined criterion, of the selected service in the first list (30).

2. Process according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a step of selecting a service in the first list (33), consisting in moving a cursor from a service of the first list to another service of the first list with the aid of navigation keys, the service indicated by the cursor being selected.

3. Process according to claim 2, wherein it comprises, subsequent to steps (c) and (d), in case of activation of the navigation keys, the step of selecting a service of the first list, immediately adjacent to the visual indicator (39).

4. Process according to claim 1, wherein the selecting of a service not present in the first list in step (c) is performed with the aid of one of the following steps:

direct input of an identifier of the service;

return to the service by an application.

5. Process according to claim 2, wherein the selecting of a service not present in the first list in step (c) is performed with the aid of one of the following steps:

direct input of an identifier of the service;

return to the service by an application.

6. Process according to claim 3, wherein the selecting of a service not present in the first list in step (c) is performed with the aid of one of the following steps:

direct input of an identifier of the service;

return to the service by an application.

7. Process according to claim 1, wherein it furthermore comprises the step of displaying descriptive elements (34) of a selected service (32, 39), elements such as an audio and/or video stream representative of the selected service.

8. Process according to claim 2, wherein it furthermore comprises the step of displaying descriptive elements (34) of a selected service (32, 39), elements such as an audio and/or video stream representative of the selected service.

9. Process according to claims 3, wherein it furthermore comprises the step of displaying descriptive elements (34) of a selected service (32, 39), elements such as an audio and/or video stream representative of the selected service.

10. Process according to claim 4, wherein it furthermore comprises the step of displaying descriptive elements (34) of a selected service (32, 39), elements such as an audio and/or video stream representative of the selected service.

11. Process according to claim 1, wherein the order of the services of the first list is non-limitingly dependent on at least one of the following criteria:

identification number, alphabetical order, order allocated by a user, order as a function of viewing frequency.

12. Process according to claims 2, wherein the order of the services of the first list is non-limitingly dependent on at least one of the following criteria:

identification number, alphabetical order, order allocated by a user, order as a function of viewing frequency.

13. Process according to claim 3, wherein the order of the services of the first list is non-limitingly dependent on at least one of the following criteria:

identification number, alphabetical order, order allocated by a user, order as a function of viewing frequency.

14. Process according to claim 1, wherein the visual indicator is one of the following elements:

a bar interposed in the first list, an arrow.

15. Process according to claim 2, wherein the visual indicator is one of the following elements:

a bar interposed in the first list, an arrow.

16. Process according to claim 3, wherein the visual indicator is one of the following elements:

a bar interposed in the first list, an arrow.

17. Appliance for the reproduction of audiovisual programs comprising a means for receiving information about services associated with the programs available from the appliance, wherein it comprises the following means:

means for determining a first (30) and a second list of services, the first list being a subset of a second list;

means for displaying at least a part of the first list, ordered according to a predetermined criterion;

means for selecting a service present in the second list, but not displayed in the first list;

means for displaying a visual indicator (39) marking the relative location in the second list, according to the predetermined criterion, of the selected service in the first list (30).